Signal-lamp.



2 SHBETS--SHBET 11 \M PATENTED MAR, 21, 1905.

F. K. WRIGHT. SIGNAL LAMP. APPLIOAUON FILED MAY 21. 1904.

PATENTED MAR. 21,1905.

4 P. K. WRIGHT.

SIGNAL LAMP.

. APPLICATION FILED MA-Y 21. 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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Patented March 21, 1905.'

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK K. WRIGHT, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

SIGNAL-LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,145, dated March21, 1905.

Application filed May 21, 1904. Serial No. 209,133-

lens and in rear of the same one or more 001- cred lenses-for instance,a red and a green lens, both of which are normally held above the whitelens and either ofwhich can be lowered to stand in line with the whitelens for giving a colored signal through the latter. A lamp of thischaracter is disclosed by my Letters Patent No. 705,808, dated July 29,1902. in the lamp of that patent each signal-plate is attached at itsperiphery to a lever-arm which is pivoted approximately in line with thecenter of the platewhen the latter is in its elevated position. It hasbeen found that in lowering the plate, during which movement thelever-arm exerts a pushing action downwardly against the peripheralportion of the plate, the latter is at times liable to be .pressedagainst one side of the upright guideway in which the plate moves,whereby the plate is caused to bind or stick in the guideway.

One object of the present invention is to overcome this difficulty andto construct the plate-actuating mechanism in such manner that the platemoves easily and freely up or down.

Another object of this prove the guideway with a view of preventing itfrom being dismembered by unauthorized persons. I

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is afragmentary sectional elevation of a lamp provided with my improvements,the section being taken in line 1 1, Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a similarvertical section through the lens, signal-plates, and connecting partsin line 1 1, Fig. i, but on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection in line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the lamp.Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the actuating-levers for thesignalinvention is to im-.

plates. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a modified constructionthereof. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section through the rearcompartment, showing the rear signal-plate viewed from the front, thesection being taken in line 7 7, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a similar sectionthrough the front compartment, showing the front signal-plate viewedfrom the rear, the section being taken in line 8 8, Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is afragmentary rear view of the slotted actuating-arm in the position whichthe same occupies when the signal-plate is in its elevated position, theactuating-pin of the signal-plate being shown in section. Fig. 10 is aperspective view of the upper front plate of the housing in which thesignal-plates are arranged. Fig. 11 is a perspective front view of thelower front plate of the housing. Fig. 12 is a perspective front view ofthe partition. Fig. 13 is a perspective front view of the rear plate ofthe housing.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A representsthe body of the lamp, which may be of any suitableconstruction and which contains an oil-pot a.

B represents one of the white lenses, secured in an annular verticalframe 6. Lamps of this class are usually provided with two such lensesat right angles to each other.

C representsthe upright housing for the colored signal-plates D and E.This housing is located between the lamp-body and the lensframe 6 andconnects the latter to the lampbody. The housing, which extends abovethe lens-frame sufficientl y to accommodate the signal-plates in theirelevated position, is composed of a rear plate 0, a lower front plate 0,and an upper front plate 0 and is provided with a transversepartition-plate 0 which divides the housing into a front compartment, inwhich the front signal-plate D is arranged, and a rear compartment, inwhich the rear signal-plate E is arranged. The rear plate 0 is providedin its lower portion with a light-opening f and around said opening witha collar f, by which this plate is permanently secured in thelight-openingf of the lamp-body. The rear plate is further provided witha forwardly-projecting marginal wall f of sufii cient depth to make roomfor the rear signalplate and connecting parts and with a hook shapedmarginal flange f, which extends around the lower portion of the rearplate and upwardly along the sides thereof to a short distance above thelight-opening. This flange receives the lower portion of thepartitionplate 0 which is slid from above into the ways formed by theflange.

The lower front plate is provided with a light-opening g, in which theannular lensframe 6 is secured, and with a rearwardly-projectingmarginal wall g, having a marginal flange 9 which embraces the similarmarginal flange f of the rear plate. The lower front plate is connectedwith the fixed rear plate by engaging the flange of this front platewith that of the rear plate and sliding the front plate upwardly intoposition on the rear plate.

The upper front plate 0 is provided with a rearwardly-projectingmarginal wall 2', having a marginal flange 2', which embraces the flangef of the rear plate. This front plate is slid into position from above.When in position, the lower part of the upper front plate overlaps theupper part of the lower front plate, and these two detachable frontplates are secured to the fixed rear plate by a fastening-bolt 7a, whichpasses through the marginal portions ofthe plates.

Although but one fastening-bolt is is ordinarily used, thepartition-plate dis preferably provided on each side with a notch Z inthe proper position for making room for the fastening-bolt, so that theplate can he slid into place in the housing with either side forward.The plate has a light-opening Z and is further preferably provided withthumb-holes Z for convenience in handling the plate and with sidenotches Z in its upper portion for a purpose explained below.

The two sets of mechanism by which the signal-plates are actuated arealike and are constructed as follows: M is a transverse link or rock-armwhich is movably connected to one side of the housing by a pivot m andwhich is connected at its free inner end to the peripheral portion ofthe signal-plate by a pin m. This link extends from the side of thehousing to the upper portion of the circular signal-plate, and its freeend therefore swings in an are which is not far removed from a verticalline, whereby the rolling action of the circular signal-plate is greatlyreduced compared with that which occurs when the arm which controls theplate is pivoted in line with the center of the plate, as is the case inmy former Letters Patent above men tioned.

The actuating-lever by which the plate is raised or lowered is composedof an outer arm or finger-piece n, a hub portion a, and aninner arm 92provided with a radial slot a for connection with the actuating-pin m ofthe signal-plate. The inner lever-arm n has preferably the form of adisk, as shown, to form a large bearing-surface for the signal-plate;but it maybe a comparatively narrow arm 1), as represented in Fig. 6.Upon turning the lever one of the sides of the radial slot n operatesagainst the pin m and causes the link M to swing upwardly or downwardly,carrying the signal-plate with it.

The hub portion at of the actuating-lever is journaled in an opening qof the upper front plate 0 Fig. 10. This plate is provided on its frontside with a spring-catch q for holding the lever-arm n securely when thesignalplate is elevated and with a stop (1 on which the arm rests whenthe signal-plate has been lowered.

The inner arm n is provided at the outer end of its slot n with acircumferential shoulder 1%, on which the actuating-pin m of thesignal-plate rests when the latter is in its elevated position, asrepresented in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 8 the front signal-plate is shown in its lowered position. Inthis position of the plate the outer arm n of the actuating-lever restson the stop 9 as shown in Fig. 4. Upon so turning the actuating-leverthat its inner arm n moves in the direction of the arrow the plate iselevated, and when the outer arm nhas been fully swung over and engagedwith the spring-catch q the slot in the inner arm has slightly movedbeyond the dead-center and the pin on rests on the shoulder of at theouter end of the actuating-slot, whereby the signal-plate is securelyheld in its elevated position against accidental displacement. Uponturning the actuating-arm in the opposite direction the signal-plate islowered.

The mechanism by which the rear signalplate is actuated and lockedcomprises a link or rock-arm R, pivoted at 0', an actuating-pin 1*, anactuating-lever composed of an outer arm 8, hub portion 8', and innerarm 8 having a slot .9 provided with a supporting-shoulder 8, and aspring-catch t and supportingstop t on the rear side of the rear plate aof the housing. These parts operate in all respects like thecorresponding parts connected with the front signal-plate. The upperside notches Z of the partition prevent the latter from pressing againstthe pivotal portions of v the links M R and interfering with the freemovements thereof.

As above described, the rear plate of the housing is permanentlyattached to the lampbody, and as this rear plate is in one piece andsupports the mechanism connected with the rear signal-plate it is notpossible to remove this rear plate or the signal mechanism connectedtherewith, even if the front plates, lens, and front signal mechanismshould be removed. In the lamp of my patent above mentioned thelens-frame was permanently secured to the lamp-body and the upper partof the signal-housing, carrying both signalplates and their actuatingmechanisms, was detachably secured to the lower part of the housing. Inthat construction it was possible to remove the entire signal mechanismfrom the lamp without disturbing the lamp in other respects, and it hastherefore happened that the signal mechanism has been removed withoutauthority from one lamp for the purpose of replacing a damaged signalmechanism on another, lamp. This is not possible in the presentconstruction, because the rear plate of the housing is not removable.The front and rear plates of the housing are preferably provided at themiddle with upright recesses u to reduce the surfaces against which theinner lever-arms bear. a

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a lamp,a signal-plate,

I an upright guideway for said plate, a link pivoted at one end to theside of the guideway and at the other end to the signal-plate, and meansfor moving said link up or down, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a lamp, a signal-plate, an upright housing andguideway for said plate, a link pivoted at one end to the side of theguideway and at the other end to the signal-plate, and anactuating-lever journaled in said housing and having its inner armconnected with said linlnsubstantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a lamp,a signal-plate, an upright guideway forsaid plate, a link fulcrumed at one end and pivoted at the other end tosaid signal-plate, and an actuating-lever fulcrumed out of line with thefulcrum of said link and provided with a slot which receives aprojection on said link and moves said link up or down, substantially asset forth.

4. The combination of a lamp,a signal-plate, an upright guideway forsaid plate, a link fulcrumed at one end and pivoted at the other end tosaid signal-plate, and an actuating-lever provided with a slot whichreceives a projection on said link and moves said link up or down andwith a shoulder at the outer end of said slot on which said projectionis supported when the link and plate are in the elevated position,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of alamp,a signalplate, an upright housing andguideway for said plate, a link pivoted at one end to the side of theguideway and at the other end to the signal-plate, and anactuating-lever journaled in said housing and having its inner armcomposed of a disk having aradial slot which receives a projection onthe link, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a lamp-body having a light-opening in its side, anupright signalplate housing arranged on the outer side of said lamp-bodyand having its rear wall permanently secured to said lamp-body aroundsaid light-opening, a signal-plate and actuating mechanism mounted insaid housing, and a lens-frame secured to the front wall of saidhousing, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a lamp-body having a light-opening in its side, anupright signalplate housing arranged on the outer side of said lamp-bodyand having its rear wall permanently secured thereto around saidlightopening, and its front wall detachably secured to said rear wall,and a lens-frame secured to saidhdetachable front wall, substantially asset fort 8. The combination of a lamp-body having a light-opening in itsside, an upright signalplate housing arranged on the outer side of saidlamp-body and having its rear wall permanently secured thereto and itsfront wall composed of an upper and a lower portion both detachablysecured to said rear wall, and a lens-frame secured to said lowerdetachable front wall, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a lamp-body having a light-opening in its side, anupright signalplate housing arranged on the outer side of said lamp-bodyand having its rear wall permanently secured thereto and its front wallcomposed of an upper and a lower portion both detachably secured to saidrear wall, a lens-frame and lens secured to said lower detachableportion, a rear signal-plate and actuating mechanism mounted on saidpermanent rear plate, and a front signal-plate and actuating mechanismmounted on the upper detachable portion of said front wall,substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 14th day of May, 1904.

FREDERICK K. WRIGHT.

